A New Needs Analysis Model For College English On The Basis Of Comprehensive Learning Theory

The modern concept of learners’competence comprises not only relevant professional qualifications, but also general skills and a broad range of personal qualities to manage the common and democratic functions of society. As the social needs change, college English teaching is confronted with a far-reaching reform and the challenges as well as opportunities for a further development. In order to formulate scientific, systematic and individualized college English syllabus to guide their own teaching, colleges and universities’primary task is to thoroughly investigate needs of learners, teachers, and society towards college English teaching.Scientific and effective needs analysis is inseparable from the guidance of sound theories. On the basis of comprehensive learning theory, this study utilizes the existing comparatively mature foreign language needs analysis models for reference in an attempt to construct a new model for college English. As the theoretical basis of needs analysis, comprehensive learning theory is more complete than communicative approach and learning-centered approach that appear in an early stage. On one hand, various social environments determine the specific context and basic conditions when learning takes place, which affects the objective language needs of learners, and then become their target needs. On the other hand, as learning subject, the learners interact with external environments on their own initiative. During the process different learning needs occur, including needs about environment, knowledge, skills, strategies, motivation and so on.The new needs analysis model integrates the needs of students, teachers, colleges and society into college English needs. Among these needs subjects, learners are regarded as the center, therefore further analysis of learners’target and learning needs is carried out from the cognitive, emotional, and environmental dimensions. Needs subjects are connected together through the interpersonal interaction between learners and their external environments. Analysis results of each needs subject are combined together to form the final conclusion. When the new college English needs analysis model is applied into practice, we should use and develop it in a creative way according to specific situations. Importance should be attached to the diversity of information sources, data collection procedures, and the rational collocations in adopting them. In this way, reliable, valid and usable data can be ensured for scientific needs analysis. Furthermore, needs analysis is a dynamic process, since social and individual needs change in different development stages. Therefore, on-going needs re-analysis is necessary and important.This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One briefly introduces the research background, research purpose and importance, as well as the organization of the thesis. Chapter Two presents a critical review of theoretical and empirical studies on foreign language needs analysis at home and abroad. It discusses the definition and classification of needs, and data collection for identifying needs, explains the core position of needs analysis, and comments on several representative foreign language needs analysis models. Chapter Three provides the theoretical basis of the new needs analysis model, i.e. comprehensive learning theory, including the following contents: the modern concept of learning, the two processes and three dimensions of learning, and the four levels of learning. Chapter Four elaborates the theoretical construction of new college English needs analysis model, respectively from the perspectives of students, teachers, colleges, and society, and then indicates principal issues in application of the new model and its practical significance. Chapter Five sums up the whole thesis and points out the limitations of the study.